The 10 fastest-depreciating cars 2024

Model E-Tense Espirit De Voyage | List price £39,825 | 36k/3yr resale value £11,350 | Price drop £28,475 | Retained value 28.5%

The model which loses the biggest percentage of its value after three years of ownership is the DS 3 E-Tense, a small electric SUV which counts the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and MG ZS EV among its key rivals. 

While the DS 3 isn't as fast as those cars, the 9.0sec 0-60mph sprint time afforded by its 154bhp electric motor will still be plenty quick enough for most drivers. And the DS does a good job of soaking up ruts and bumps in the road, with its soft suspension giving a comfortable ride, with none of the jostling you'll experience in the firmer Kona Electric.

In terms of range, the DS 3's 50.8kWh battery gives an official range of 250 miles – and our experience in the real world suggests that around 200 miles should be possible between charges.

Read our full DS 3 review

Model Hybrid GT Ultima | List price £90,600 | 36k/3yr resale value £26,100 | Price drop £64,500| Retained value 28.8%

You may not be surprised to see a V6-powered performance car on this list, but the scale of the Ghibli’s depreciation over three years is worthy of note. It drops value like a stone to the tune of more than £64,000.

You’d better enjoy driving it while you can, then. Now, what Maserati calls a hybrid is actually a mild hybrid, which means its 2.0-litre petrol engine gets tiny amounts of electrical assistance to help lower your fuel bills – but not by much. Still, with 325bhp on tap, this Ghibli should feel every bit as fast as its badge would suggest.

 Long-distance comfort could be better, though, and you'll get more luggage into the boot of the significantly cheaper BMW 5 Series.

Read our full Maserati Ghibli review

Model Design 50kWh | List price £32,445 | 36k/3yr resale value £9400 | Price drop £23,045| Retained value 29.0%

The regular Vauxhall Corsa is one of the best-selling new cars in the UK, and this pure electric version offers many of the same benefits of that car – namely, that includes a keen price and lots of standard kit for your money.

It's also capable of charging up relatively quickly – minimising the time you'll need to spend at public charging stations – and it has a decent range of up to 246 miles. That's similar to the rival Peugeot e-208, but it's also worth noting that the rival MG4 has a longer range, is also keenly priced, and is better to drive.

Plus, the MG will retain more of its value than those rivals after three years of ownership and 36,000 miles.

Read our full Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

Model Acenta 39kWh | List price £28,995 | 36k/3yr resale value £8525 | Price drop £20,470| Retained value 29.4%

The original Nissan Leaf was one of the first small electric cars to sell in big numbers, and the newest iteration improves on that formula. For one thing, the entry-level 39kWh battery option has a very tempting price, yet can still reach 62mph in 8.0sec and has a range of up to 168 miles between charges.

While there's about as much space for passengers as you'd find in most rivals, but the Renault Zoe can carry slightly more in its boot – we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases inside that car in our tests, compared with five in the Leaf.

Despite being one of the most affordable electric cars on sale, too, 39kWh versions of the Leaf shed pounds and pence faster than most rivals. In fact, after the depreciation of more than £20,000 is taken into account, the Leaf's value of just £8525 is the lowest on this list.

Read our full Nissan Leaf review

Model GS | List price £39,985 | 36k/3yr resale value £12,000| Price drop £27,985| Retained value 30.0%

The second Vauxhall to appear on this list is the bigger brother to the Corsa Electric we saw earlier – the Mokka Electric. It's capable of an official 209 miles between charges – shorter than the rival Volkswagen ID 3 Pro Performance could take you – and its 134bhp electric motor allows for a fairly peppy o-60mph sprint time of 8.6sec.

There's a reasonable amount of space for your passengers on the Mokka's back seats, but they'll be even more comfortable in the rival Hyundai Kona Electric. Plus, while the Mokka comes with plenty of kit, the interior quality is a bit of a let-down, with materials which don't feel as plush as what you'd find in the Peugeot e-2008 or Kia Niro EV.

Read our full Vauxhall Mokka Electric review

Model V8 Trofeo | List price £142,745 | 36k/3yr resale value £43,300| Price drop £99,945| Retained value 30.3%

The second Maserati to feature here is the larger Quattroporte, this time fitted with a fire-breathing V8 petrol engine. It sounds fantastic and delivers epic performance, but we doubt even that is enough to cover up the huge losses in value it suffers.

In fact, with almost £100,000 of value lost once you've covered 36,000 miles over three years, it loses the most of any car featured on this list by some margin – at a rate of £2.77 per mile.

While the Quattroporte feels nimble through corners, and its interior is easy to get along with, an awkward driving position and the fact that some performance car rivals are better to drive stop it from earning more than a two-star rating from us.

Read our full Maserati Quattroporte review

Model Iconic R135 Boost Charge | List price £29,995 | 36k/3yr resale value £9375| Price drop £20,620| Retained value 31.26%

That the Renault Zoe loses so much value in three years is bad news if you're considering buying one new – but potentially excellent news if you're buying used. You see, there are plenty of Zoes available, since it was one of the first mass-market electric cars to go on sale. 

All versions of the Zoe come with a 134bhp electric motor which is fine for around town, but plenty of electric car rivals, such as the MG4, will get you up to motorway speeds faster.

Your family should be able to get comfy easily, since the Zoe has more space for tall adults than some rivals, and it also has a big boot that's able to swallow more luggage than the Nissan Leaf.

That being said, the Zoe misses out on some of the safety kit we'd recommend, including Automatic Emergency Braking – which contributed to it receiving a zero-star score for safety from the experts at Euro NCAP when it was tested in 2021.

Read our full Renault Zoe review

Model 1.6 E-Tense 4x4 Espirit De Voyage | List price £74,415 | 36k/3yr resale value £23,325| Price drop £51,090| Retained value 31.34%

The DS 9 was intended to be a left-field choice in the luxury car market, with this plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version combining the potential for low running costs with all the comfort, tech and quality you'd expect in a big cruiser.

Sadly, the reality doesn't quite live up to the hype, because despite having a comfortable ride and a well-finished interior, the DS 9 trails behind other models when it comes to infotainment, rear headroom and practicality.

And despite costing as much as many German rivals to buy, the DS 9 will lose more of its value over time.

Read our full DS 9 review

Model Active | List price £36,500 | 36k/3yr resale value £11,525| Price drop £24,975| Retained value 31.6%

This family sized electric SUV counts the Hyundai Kona Electric and Smart #1 among its key rivals. The Peugeot's 154bhp electric motor provides adequate performance for most situations – though its 0-60mph sprint time of 8.5sec is nothing spectacular – but stopping smoothly can be tricky due to the inconsistent brake feel.

At least the e-2008 is efficient, recording 183 miles between charges in our real-world range tests. 

The e-2008 is smart enough inside, with swathes of soft-touch plastics, but Peugeot's i-Cockpit layout – which has you looking over the steering wheel at the instrument cluster, rather than through it – won't be for everyone.

Read our full Peugeot e-2008 review

Model 840i M Sport | List price £83,905 | 36k/3yr resale value £26,650| Price drop £57,255| Retained value 31.8%

It used to be the case that the range-topping M50 version of the 8 Series, with its stonking V8 petrol engine, featured on this list, but now the lesser (but still plenty powerful enough) 840i actually out-ranks it in terms of depreciation.

Like its 840d diesel-engined sibling, we'd expect power delivery to be silky smooth, while the 840i is the only version of the 8 Series to get rear-wheel rather than four-wheel drive.

Inside you'll find plenty of space to stretch out, and an infotainment system that's easy to get along with, thanks to its rotary dial controller. Some rivals are sportier and more comfortable, though, and crucially will cost you less in depreciation over three years.

Read our full BMW 8 Series review

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